Are the majority of people really that obtuse and is higher education just a form of indoctrination ...

genessa comments on Jan 8, 2019:

the majority of people are obtuse. higher education is NOT a form of indoctrination. if it was, college would be free for all. this is a republican talking point and a lie. higher education can be good or bad depending on the individuals involved, but there is no big ol' plan to brainwash everyone through higher education. quite the opposite. exception: christian universities. those are definitely into brainwashing. and by the way, i am a retired educator and yes i wanted students to learn not WHAT to think but HOW to think, and worked my ass off toward that end. g

What do you eat?

genessa comments on Jan 8, 2019:

i eat only real food (that means no cola, no twinkies) because i only like real food, and there is some real food i don't eat. i eat celery only grudgingly, when it's too difficult to extract it from a larger dish. i do not eat anything with which an animal thinks or makes love. i have to watch my carbs due to my diabetes; sometimes i'm good and sometimes i'm less good. g

Is "following" just code for STALKING?

genessa comments on Jan 8, 2019:

no, how so? stalking implies a lot more than just wanting to be notified when someone makes a post, because you enjoy that person's posts. if this was stalking, setting your dvr to record your favorite tv show would also be stalking. g

Pet Peeve! When you leave me a message, whether on my answering machine or thru voicemail, could ...

genessa comments on Jan 8, 2019:

i generally don't have that problem. my problem is it'll be a callback to a message i myself have left, in which i not only have identified myself properly and given my number clearly but asked for the recipient PLEASE to put the answer to my question into the message -- and the person will not leave any further message than who they are and their number! there is no need for that kind of phone tag. if i am asking "did you get the thing i sent?" then a callback message could say "yes, i got it" or "nope, not yet" and that would be the end of it! g

French Prime Minister proposes government registry of demonstrators - World Socialist Web Site

genessa comments on Jan 8, 2019:

a bit skewed, here, as far as i can tell. the proposed action concerns VIOLENT protesters. g

Would you support a single payer option for health insurance if offered?

genessa comments on Jan 8, 2019:

single-payer without insurance, just health care instead of health insurane, would be best, BUT while we're breaking that in, a public option tagged onto the aca would be a lot better than nothing. g

If you were visiting someone at their home and on Sunday they asked you to attend church with them ...

genessa comments on Jan 8, 2019:

no one who was that close a friend of mine would even dream of asking me to go to church with them, and if by some quirk they did, they would not be hurt by my declining to do so. if they were the kind of folks who temporarily forgot i was not ever going to go to church with them, and they were the kind of folks who'd be hurt by my refusal, i certainly wouldn't be visiting them on a sunday. they probably wouldn't be my friends, either. g

Are you a agnostic or gnostic atheist? [atheistrev.com]

genessa comments on Jan 8, 2019:

neither. i don't claim to know for certain, but i do claim to feel certain nonetheless. it depends on the definition of knowing. for example, no one actually knows, objectively, whether or not this is all a dream, but those of us who are not confined to the psychiatric ward do functionally know it's real. i functionally know there are no gods. g

PLACE YOUR BETS HERE - Will Trump declare a state of emergency in his address tonight so he can...

genessa comments on Jan 8, 2019:

i think we know he will. the real bets are twofold: 1. will the dems be granted equal time, as they've requested, or is it hopeless? and 2. how many lawsuits will immediately be pressed if and when trump declares his fake state of emergency? g

DONALD TRUMP IS a National Emergency! Tonight he goes on live TV to talk to the nation about border ...

genessa comments on Jan 8, 2019:

i have some hope (not faith) that the networks will grant the democrats equal time. g

I realized something the other day.

genessa comments on Jan 8, 2019:

i always reacted that way to god's early statement (in the hebrew bible) that he is a jealous god. if he's the only one, of whom is he jealous? g

Gals, what is a pickup line that worked? (For real now!)

genessa comments on Jan 8, 2019:

none. if a guy needs a pickup line he's too pathetic for me. g

How as athiest do you determine right from wrong ?

genessa comments on Jan 8, 2019:

i don't engage with any depth or seriousness with people who ask me how, as an atheist (not athiest) i would tell right from wrong, as those people are sufficiently ignorant (seriously, without a work of fiction from a couple/few thousand years ago (depending on what you mean when you say "bible") a person can't tell right from wrong? and seriously, someone who relies upon said book is such a superior person to someone who doesn't (that's the arrogance)? and no, we don't make up what's right or wrong. there is a special advantage in cooperating with others and not murdering and consuming one another. check prison population. there aren't many atheists there, and that's not because we're so damned smart we don't get caught. g

How do you respond to messages from those you have no interest in?

genessa comments on Jan 8, 2019:

i don't get those, partly (i assume) my profile clearly says i am here for the community and partly (i still suppose) because my baby picture isn't sexy. i did have one hit, and it was so obviously a scam it was pathetic. i responded with direct statements about already having a guy, and not being in the market, and those were ignored. when i threatened reporting and blocking, the irritation stopped. if someone approached me with an immediate come-on i would be even more direct, and "no thanks" might be one of the things i said. a hostile reply would earn a block, and even a report if it were really rude or persistent. end of problem. g

How many of you believe that Earth is the only planet that have life ?

genessa comments on Jan 8, 2019:

there is certainly some kind of life elsewhere than on earth. sentient life? that's a whole other thing. i am sure there is something microbial somewhere, probably living on methane, but it's anybody's guess whether life that we would recognize as sentient exists elsewhere. if it does, it's not without shouting distance. g

So I have to post and do stuff like that to gain levels?

genessa comments on Jan 8, 2019:

yes. the idea isn't that you do this to gain points. the idea is that you do this because you find the site interesting, and then the site rewards you with points that let you participate even more, because you've shown that you're into it. the points are not the point (pun intended). participation is the point. if you don't want to post and comment and stuff like that, then what good are the points, anyway? g

I do not know if I believe this is all circumstances, but someone once told me that, "There is no ...

genessa comments on Jan 8, 2019:

that is why i don't buy the "i was only joking!" thing when someone tells an offensive joke. jokes don't innoculate against offense, and i'm not talking about just being super-sensitive -- i'm talking about jokes that are designed to put down a portion of the population that doesn't deserve to be put down (so that means trumpublicans are fair game!) in addition, jokes aren't funny unless there IS some shred of truth there. that's why the one about the pope kicking [insert politician of choice] off a balcony just isn't funny. i've seen it with obama as the pol, and with trump as the pol, and it isn't funny because you can substitute anyone and it just depends on whether or not you like the person and cheer at his/her demise. there is one joke i read that was awful, just awful, because it was backwards, and it wasn't backwards because it reversed obama and trump. it was awful because they were NOT interchangeable in the reality of the joke. here is the joke, and pardon me for repeating it, but you won't know what i mean unless i do: i'll say burt and ernie and you can guess who is who. burt and ernie find each other together at the same time in a barber shop. they greet each other curtly, and their respective barbers give them the required service. at the end of the ministrations, burt's barber asks him if he would like some aftershave. burt declines, saying, "i don't want to go home to my wife smelling like a whorehouse." ernie's barber asks ernie if he would like some aftershave. ernie says, "sure. my wife wouldn't know what the inside of a whorehouse smells like." now... when i read it, burt was obama and ernie was trump. but melania is the one who has posed nude, and trump is the one who sleeps with porn stars. reversed, it would've been funny, because it had that kernel of truth in it. the way i read it, it was just maddening, not funny at all. context, context, context! g

I'm a long time Dr.

genessa comments on Jan 8, 2019:

i love the new doctor too. the writing... not up to snuff, not even close. the last episode irked a lot of people but the rest of it was so bad, it was actually an improvement (exception: kaboom, or whatever it was called -- that was pretty good. but we're used to better than "pretty good." even the convoluted 11s had better stories, and i was pretty relieved when 12 came along, i must say. and now we have to wait until 2020 for more. what will that more be like? or will they just give up before then? i'd be beyond sad if they gave up. g

Tell me your definition​ of the word , " love ." What does that mean to you ?

genessa comments on Jan 6, 2019:

if i could do that i'd make a fortune. but someone (i forget who) said that real love is wanting the other person's good and romantic love is wanting the other person. g

Has modern culture broken something or let us down when it comes to leadership especially in ...

genessa comments on Jan 6, 2019:

there is no such thing as modern culture and back in the day can refer to anything that isn't right now this instant. since recorded history people have been complaining about the good old days -- and since we HAD governments, people have been complaining about their do-nothing governments. example: the 80th congress (under truman) was called the "do-nothing" congress. g

It's my birthday!! I'm 61 today.

genessa comments on Jan 6, 2019:

happy birthday :-)) g

Whats it like having not settled down with a family by the time you are 30?

genessa comments on Jan 6, 2019:

it's like being a person. i decided not to have kids, and didn't have any. i didn't meet the love of my life until i was 48 years old. i'm almost 67 now. i have no regrets about that, except that i have less time with him than i would've had i met him earlier, but i still wouldn't have procreated. g

Where do we all stand on fortune cookies?

genessa comments on Jan 6, 2019:

they're bland. they should be made of marzipan. the "learn a new word in chinese" part is cool, though. g

Are you a paranoid individual?

genessa comments on Jan 6, 2019:

nope. g

How to raise children with a religious spouse?

genessa comments on Jan 5, 2019:

you made an agreement, presumably after a discussion with your spouse. if you want to change the agreement, we're not the folks with whom to discuss it. your spouse is, if you're still with your spouse. if you're not, all bets are off, if you have custody, and you may do as you please. g

I'm one year cigarette free! I tried a few times to smoke one and it was so disgusting.

genessa comments on Jan 5, 2019:

i am glad for you and those around you! cigarettes killed my dad. my folks' smoking gave me asthma. finding a cig disgusting is a very good, rational sign that you are not going to relapse. you should be proud of yourself because that is quite an achievement. cig manufacturers go out of their way to enhance the addictive nature of their product, and you have gotten past that. that's not easy. mazel tov! g p.s. doesn't your food taste better now? :-))

Maybe people believe in God because they are cowards with themselves.

genessa comments on Jan 5, 2019:

and maybe they believe in god because that's what they were taught and they've not yet had a reason to question what they've been taught. that makes them unadventurous at the very least but it does not make them cowards. g

I can't send any messages and I can't figure out why? Help!

genessa comments on Jan 5, 2019:

there is a category for such requests. this isn't it. try site & customer service. g

Atheism is a myth.

genessa comments on Jan 5, 2019:

atheists are not bereft of the proof they'd need to convince others because there is no onus upon atheists to convince others. there is no proselytization built into atheism. atheism is simply the realization that there are no gods. let me ask you whether your not you believe in the tooth fairy. you will likely say you do not. well, PROVE to me there is no tooth fairy! when you're done fumbling that, prove to me there is no zeus. then prove to me there is no three-headed moose with two tails who speaks mandarin, farts wheat germ and demands to be prayed to. oh wait, that's ridiculous, right? well, an atheist is someone who has realized that all gods are ridiculous. no proof required. no convincing, no proselytizing, no need to explain it to YOU (i am doing it as a favor). and if you think all an atheist has is the lack of a vision or miracle, you are sadly mistaken. an atheist has a realization that has lifted just that tiny bit of cloud from his or her brain. that's actually a thing. before i go, here is a quotation from isaac asimov: “I am an atheist, out and out. It took me a long time to say it. I've been an atheist for years and years, but somehow I felt it was intellectually unrespectable to say one was an atheist, because it assumed knowledge that one didn't have. Somehow, it was better to say one was a humanist or an agnostic. I finally decided that I'm a creature of emotion as well as of reason. Emotionally, I am an atheist. I don't have the evidence to prove that God doesn't exist, but I so strongly suspect he doesn't that I don't want to waste my time.” g

What's your future hold?

genessa comments on Jan 5, 2019:

i know! it's not as if people need doctors, right? forget med school. who knows if there'll be a world by the time you graduate! and you wouldn't want to plan approximately when to have kids. have them all now, don't wait. planning is too unrealistic. after all, once you made a plan, if you change your mind, or if life changes your goals for you, or if you learn stuff that redirects you, the thought police come and throw you in prison, where you're safe from having to have long-term plans. no striving, no self-improvement, no personal evolution, ahhh, no stress! it's fine to live in the room above your parents' garage until your great-grandchildren move you to a nursing home. g

Leo Kottke "Blue Dot" Got to see him live at the Golden Bear in Huntington Beach, CA Late 70's ...

genessa comments on Jan 5, 2019:

isn't he a trip? i had the pleasure of meeting him once, and that meant i got to tell him a story concerning a concert of his i'd attended some decades earlier. i'd brought a friend with me; i'd subjected her to his albums so she was familiar with his work, but her jaw still dropped. she confessed that she had just assumed there were two or three guys playing guitar. there leo was, playing all alone, making that same sound! when i told leo this he just barely cracked a smile. he is the master of deadpan. um... also the guitar. g

We've had quite a bit of political sniping going on with our great community in the past two or more...

genessa comments on Jan 5, 2019:

sorry, i won't be posting my entire political leanings and stance here, with reasoning. that's not a one-liner. that's not even a one-paragrapher. simple? no. the best i can do without writing an essay is to label myself a liberal, progressive, social free-enterprisist, noncapitalist antiracist. i don't think i should have to explain any of that. i will say i am not against attacking other people's stances. if i find someone's "logic" ridiculous i say so. on the other hand, i won't attack the person unless the person attacks me (not my ideas). to me, "i disagree because that's ridiculous" is fine (with explanation of why it's ridiculous). "i disagree and you're an idiot" isn't, and passive-aggressive attacks and gaslighting don't fare any better with me. if someone indulges in that, i do smack back; i will not hesitate to tell that person s/he is gaslighting, or being a moron, or whatever -- and probably will also block, since i do not find personal attacks acceptable. g

Do you consider being a Pagan or wiccan a religion?

genessa comments on Jan 5, 2019:

it isn't up to me to consider those things religion. it is up to their practitioners, who, it is my understanding, do consider them so. g

Hyperbole: a fancy way of saying "you're talking out your ass." StonerThoughts

genessa comments on Jan 5, 2019:

but hyperbole is my hobby, and i still talk about of the proper orifice. g

Atheism???

genessa comments on Jan 5, 2019:

i don't know what everyone else thinks but i don't. it's not a magic thing that leads anywhere. it's just a realization that there aren't any gods. i have seen enough republican and libertarian atheists to know that higher consciousness isn't an inevitable result of that realization... nor should it be. it just is what it is. g

Responsible

genessa comments on Jan 5, 2019:

please punctuate responsibly. insofar as i can read the mess that results when you do NOT punctuate at all, i disagree with what you have said. i think most people are more honest than dishonest, and that they get fooled by progapanda. if anything, intellectual laziness is more of a problem than the honesty of the general population. if we paid better attention we could nip political shenanigans in the bud. g

I just watched a story on the news that said in the near future, we humans will be nothing more than...

genessa comments on Jan 5, 2019:

when you say news, what news do you mean? and even on a news show, some parts are information and other parts are opinion, sometimes based on facts and sometimes highly speculative. this sounds extremely unlikely. it sounds like fear-mongering ludditism. g

Judge says black men are more effective at killing black men than the KKK ever was. [msn.com]

genessa comments on Jan 5, 2019:

The judge is a moron. g

Anyone on agnostic.com that voted for trump and now regrets it?

genessa comments on Jan 5, 2019:

i have never voted republican a day in my life, and only ever failed to vote (locally -- never failed nationally) once, EVER, when i was really, really sick and was not yet in the habit of ordering an absentee ballot. however, i have a friend (not a close friend but more than just an acquaintance) who admits to having voted for trump because he didn't like hillary (hasn't got a reason for disliking her, so probably just got caught up in the propaganda) and now admits he regrets it. g

Have you ever just wanted to tie "Flo" the Progressive Insurance character down to a tanning bed and...

genessa comments on Jan 5, 2019:

some of the ads are quite dumb, and others are quite clever. stephanie courtney is pretty darned talented (which was not immediately apparent when she began to flog progressive, but later became clear when she started to portray all of flo's family members). whether or not you like the product, whether or not you enjoy the commercials, she has talent. but i have nothing against her skin tone. i'm pretty pale myself, actually. g

Me tonight "You mean to tell me Bob Ross was STONED?

genessa comments on Jan 5, 2019:

except he almost certainly wasn't. people who worked with him say they never saw any indication that he was high. okay, so maybe not a single one of them was particularly observant -- but on the other hand, he painted an entire season in under three days, and painted each work three times, and did not ad lib any of his comments. how could he do that if he were high? i'll tell you something else: when i was a freshman in college, some of my dormmates offered me some grass. i declined, admitting i had never tried it. they were astounded. they confessed that they thought i was tripping every time they saw me. (i wasn't.) so... you may look at him and figure he's got to be stoned, but what you are observing is his personality. did he smoke at home in private? i have no idea. would i think any less of him if he did? nope, and i hope he wouldn't have thought less of me if he knew i did. but was he stoned on the job? it's highly doubtful. i have posted this as a response to a comment too, since it seemed appropriate. pardon the repetition. g

Well, I didn't get the job I applied for ….

genessa comments on Jan 5, 2019:

it isn't even necessarily about you. they could've just hired someone they liked even better, even though they liked you quite well. you never know. (isn't "supposed to happen" kind of a religious phrase in this context?) g

Is it possible that the key fundamentals of all prominent religions and cosmologies can ...

genessa comments on Jan 5, 2019:

no. it's not. the thing they all have in common is that fundamentally they're NOT true. well, there is some truth in some of current cosmology -- but it hasn't got that in common with anything else on the list. g

Mythology was never intended to be taken literally.

genessa comments on Jan 4, 2019:

well, yeah, it was intended to be taken literally at first, because mythology is just the name we give to someone else's religion. the longer ago it was practised, the more easily we label it mythology. should we take it literally now? of course not... but that applies to current religions too, although their practitioners would argue with the label "mythology." as for role models, oh yeah, zeus springs immediately to mind. not such a great role model there! even king david, arguably a biblical hero, was a lousy role model (he's my favorite biblical character, though, precisely because he is so flawed). if you use the bible as a model of good behavior and respectable characters, you're using a confused piece of patchwork literature, g

Is your glass half full or half empty?

genessa comments on Jan 4, 2019:

glass? i'm supposed to have a glass? g

Is there something that you've dreamed of doing for a long time?

genessa comments on Jan 4, 2019:

yes, i want to found a shelter for abused women and children who could benefit from equine therapy. why haven't i done it and why not do it right away? money! i have none. in fact i may lose my home. so... nope, no plan to do it. g

Last Chance!!

genessa comments on Jan 4, 2019:

"believe me." g

I FINALLY got around to seeing "The Book of Mormon". Have you seen it?

genessa comments on Jan 4, 2019:

i wish i could see it. i've seen bits of it televised. vulgarity is relative; using a "bad" word, to me, is not in and of itself vulgar, but being president and doing any of the things trump does is quite vulgar. as for irreverent, that is the point, isn't it? that's a GOOD thing! g

Oh today I had one of those moments.

genessa comments on Jan 4, 2019:

you did fine. don't let it bug you. the guy was buggy. g

Technical difficulties

genessa comments on Jan 4, 2019:

by number do you mean phone number? report this to the phone company. if you mean something else, then i am clueless. g

Do you think I should try pot ?

genessa comments on Jan 3, 2019:

you've been advised not to smoke too much the first time. the truth is, you will need more to get high the first time than ever again because it is the opposite of addictive. i didn't get high the first five times i tried! the sixth time, a friend was determined to get me high and we smoked all day long. she was on the floor by late afternoon and i was sitting there saying "i don't feel anything." about a half hour after we finally stopped, i felt an urge to conjugate a verb. (yeah, that's my idea of a stoned revelation!) then her parents took us out to eat chinese, and my food kind of burbled at me. i was delighted but couldn't mention it because of the grownups. after that, i was such a cheap date. it never took much to get me high after that. some people find that the ONE thing grass won't fix and might make worse is a headache. others report no such thing. i won't smoke it if i have a headache. everything else, hell yeah, it makes pain more bearable, relieves anxiety, makes one forget depression, and it's not addictive (people with adictive personalities can become dependent on it, but such people can be addicted to video games, or shoe collecting, or anything, and the pot should not be blamed for that; it has no physically addicting properties). i don't like drinking or being drunk, though in japan i dabbled in that (i was there 10 years; everyone drinks there!) it's not the same feeling at all. pot is nice. but is it for you? only you can know, and to know, you have to try it. try it more than once, though. then decide. g

Thanks to everyone who responded to my post regarding racism.

genessa comments on Jan 3, 2019:

in what way is atheism not squeaky clean? i don't agree that the walkaway is necessarily the best approach. it depends on how much contact you're going to have with these people, and on other factors as well, but NOT on whether or not you believe in deities! atheism nullifies nothing unless you're trying to tell them how to worship their god. g

I think everyone should know this.

genessa comments on Jan 3, 2019:

actually it works best within an hour of exposure, which is usually not possible since to get this treatment you need a visit to evaluate your risk, and a blood test whose results may not come back within an hour (or 72 hours?) as time ticks on, effectiveness decreases. the drug is good ol' azt, and while it reduces the risk of developing hiv, it does not eliminate it. i should think the biggest problem with relying on this is timely access. i have no idea whether insurance generally covers it, nor whether medicare/medicaid would. g

Would you confine a drug addict upon a first offense to a drug program and possibly save their life?

genessa comments on Jan 3, 2019:

it would depend on what you consider a drug. for example, marijuana is not a drug and alcohol is. so would this apply to alcohol? how about tobacco, which is extremely addictive and hurts others directly when smoked in their presence? and if the confinement involved a 12-step program the addict would be going from one addiction to another. there are also all kinds of legal considerations. being an addict is not, in and of itself, against the law. who gets to decide who gets confined, where, when? there is such a thing as illegal confinement. g

If you are in a relationship and could have sex on the side and be guaranteed not be caught, would ...

genessa comments on Jan 3, 2019:

why would i want to? if i wanted to, then why would i be in the relationship? g

How do I approach racism in a friend of mines family

genessa comments on Jan 2, 2019:

the approach would depend on how the racism is manifesting itself. an appropriate reaction to, say, referring to someone with the n word would be different from an appropriate reaction to denying someone an apartment, or throwing a stone at someone, or shouting the n word at someone. if you can be specific, that would help. in general, though, if in the presence of a racist remark, it might be appropriate to say "that's not cool. that's a racist remark. i'd prefer not to hear such things, thanks," or something similar in your own words depending on the casualness of your relationship with that family. g

As athiest, what charaties do you support?

genessa comments on Jan 2, 2019:

the only charity to which i would donate specifically as an atheist, and i think nonatheists could get behind it too, would be the freedom from religion foundation. i donate to planned parenthood and the aclu, as a person, without regard to whether or not i am an atheist. what has my atheism got to do with the charities i support, unless it was, for example, the freedom from religion foundation? that is a concern of mine to be sure but it's not the only one. the fact that i do not believe there are any gods (and in fact believe there are no gods) actually does not dominate my every waking moment. g

What are you doing right now?

genessa comments on Jan 2, 2019:

listening to lawrence o'donnell, playing a couple games, getting ready to lie down for a bit. g

Do Atheists normally swing to the left or to the right?

genessa comments on Jan 2, 2019:

yes. we do. or not. g

Not necessarily a Trump fan, but not a foe either

genessa comments on Jan 2, 2019:

now that is crap, sorry, just total crap. someone put it on a meme so you believe it? duh! but before i saw the meme i already knew something was wrong. how can you not be the foe of a guy who... oh gosh where shall i start? start with the news. go on, surely everyone is playing the videotape of trump's cabinet meeting. the man's a MORON. g

Just because you are atheist It does not mean you have freed yourself!

genessa comments on Jan 1, 2019:

just because being an atheist isn't a guarantee of having been freed (in my case, freed from what? i wasn't religious anyway) that doesn't mean one has NOT been freed either. g

The four of us are off to 42nd street tomorrow, it's showing in London's West End.

genessa comments on Jan 1, 2019:

sorry, what did i ask that for? i know you didn't use that because you said tomorrow. you can only do that for same-day performances. sorry. g

The four of us are off to 42nd street tomorrow, it's showing in London's West End.

genessa comments on Jan 1, 2019:

did you use the half-price ticket stand in leicester square? half price plus one pound, to be exact. g

Advertising and academia are controlling our thoughts. Didn’t you know?

genessa comments on Jan 1, 2019:

they're not controlling mine. advertising is certainly trying its best to do so. but academia? is this an outburst of anti-intellectualism? are you aware that anti-intellectualism makes advertising's job a hell of a lot easier? touting an opinion piece in which the author apparently misunderstands what is being reviewed IS false news. g

So you wouldn't mind meeting a guy but you only get to choose them online from pix.

genessa comments on Jan 1, 2019:

but i WOULD mind. i would never choose based on a picture. as for beards, it's a matter of who's wearing it. i cannot possibly vote here. g

If I move to Israel, would I have to join the military?

genessa comments on Jan 1, 2019:

moving to israel and becoming a citizen are not the same thing. you are qualified for citizenship but you still have to apply. until you do, and have it granted, you are just american, and have no military obligation. once applied for and granted, you may or may not have a military obligation. i suspect you may. but your citizenship would be dual at any rate. if you haven't got the money the whole thing's moot, right? g

A National Sales Tax, tied to the actual annual budget for any given fiscal year, is I believe the ...

genessa comments on Jan 1, 2019:

i am absolutely opposed to that. the sales tax hits everyone with the same amount, but not to the same effect. a person who makes $7 an hour and a person whose income is in the hundreds of thousands are not affected equally by sales tax. income tax is a good idea, and capital gains should be taxes equitably too, on a scale that makes people pay their fair share. for sales tax alone to support the economy it would have to be such that it destroyed families. and by the way i don't WANT to destroy the irs once and for all. what a horrible idea. g

It seems that 90% of the women in my search range haven't signed in since October or before.

genessa comments on Jan 1, 2019:

this site is different from other dating sites. it's not just that it's a dating site AND a community. it's that the dating site, like others, really isn't that effective on its on, nor should it be. a dating site is a terrible way to find a date! but combined with community it could be great. the thing is, nobody wants to date someone who's looking for a date. everyone wants to date a person they like. how do they know they like you? from a profile? profiles are good but come on, anyone can write whatever they want. from a picture? what someone looks like isn't ultimately what attracts others, and some folks are quite nice-looking but unphotogenic, and who KNOWS whose picture is really that person anyway? no, it's what the person is like, and the community is one way to find that out BEFORE making a more personal approach. you have made two posts, this one and one about why you're not at level 2 (and that, by the way, is why you're not at level 2). you have made no comments on anything anyone else has had to say on any topic in any category. how is someone supposed to get to know you? how are you supposed to get to know someone? participate in the community. the points will come and you may make friends. some of the friends will be potential dates when you get to know each other here in the community. see how that works? g

What is it that makes a person a dog lover or a cat lover? Those that like both do not count.

genessa comments on Jan 1, 2019:

lol why don't i count? i love both but favor cats. it's not because they are naturally clean and use the litter box (our current dog poops where she pleases; our last dog asked to be let or taken out). it's not because they can amuse themselves in my absence (i am not absent much except in sleep) without whining. it's because, contrary to their stereotypes, they're so completely loving, not aloof at all -- not my cats, anyway! my cats want to be with me, on my, dandled in my arms, kissed, babytalked but also addressed seriously in an adult manner, and listened to when they have something to say. g

If you had the power to do so would you eliminate zoos?

genessa comments on Jan 1, 2019:

mixed feelings here. more and more zoos are eschewing cages for more natural habitats, but captivity is still captivity. then again, there tend not to be hunters in zoos, and some species can only be protected that way. traditional zoos with cages just have to go, sorry, BYE zoos! but the free range type you mention are necessary. it is also important for kids especially but people in general to have access to what they otherwise would not be able to experience, without exploitation of course. g

[jta.org] Global Genetic Study Finds Widespread Traces of Sephardic Genes in Latin America.

genessa comments on Jan 1, 2019:

i know they have a bunch of ashkenazic too because it seems half of my family split off a hundred or so years ago and went to argentina, with some splitting off to brazil. go figure, eh? g

Is my brain weird?

genessa comments on Jan 1, 2019:

i do think visually to an extent, and i do see stuff happening when i read, as if watching a movie, but no, the visualizations don't match yours too closely. that doesn't make either of us weird (or NOT weird, for that matter). g

Spiritual but not religious?

genessa comments on Jan 1, 2019:

to me it's religion light, anything from god is in the trees to your great-grandmother communicating with you through your cheerios. g

Sorry, Gramps, There's an Iceburg with Your Name on It.

genessa comments on Dec 31, 2018:

i will be 67 years old in february and have voted democratic my whole life, am more progressive than most liberals (although i do not shun that name) and do not belong at your elderly table. it's not ABOUT age. it's about brainwashing. my folks were democrats until the day they died, and i did not become a democrat because i was copying them; i understood what they said, it made sense, and when i examined everything i believed at the age of 15, god went out the window but liberal politics withstood the inquiry, and subsequent inquiries. don't be ageist just because the elders of your family are idiots. it is not true of the elders of every family, and it is not untrue of the younger folks of every family either. g

One of the things I've always noticed about the bible belt is they have a grudge against "book ...

genessa comments on Dec 31, 2018:

anti-intellectualism has been a thing in this country for a long, long time, and it shows no signs of abating. in fact, with trump in office loving "the poorly educated" (insofar as he can love anyone) either it's more rampant than ever or it's easier for folks to admit publicly (note the idiots proudly labeling themselves "deplorable"). remember pol pot? the first folks his khmer rouge killed were professionals, anyone who could read, anyone who knew a foreign language, anyone who wore glasses (eggheads, right?) g

356 more posts needed to reach 4000 posts and attain Level 6.

genessa comments on Dec 31, 2018:

if you do not spend much time here, and do not care for online interaction, and the points are to reward participation in online interaction, i can't help wondering why you should have (or care about) points? you're right -- making friends is always nice. imagine how many rewarding points you'd have if you DID spend much time here. g

I want to find a serious relationship

genessa comments on Dec 31, 2018:

instead of posting about how emotionless everyone is, how about taking an interest in other topics and seeing who is interested in the same topics? there is plenty of emotion going on there. you may find lots of people with whom you agree (and disagree) and among those with whom you agree you may strike up a friendship. wanting to find a serious relationship and saying so will not find you a serious relationship. making friends and letting friendships develop beyond friendship if they're so inclined tends to work better. g

It invokes visions of rebellion when you wake up one morning and realize you are but slaves to the ...

genessa comments on Dec 31, 2018:

it invokes visions of voting, and making sure our votes count. g

Atheists party

genessa comments on Dec 31, 2018:

why would atheists have a political party? the only thing we all have in common is a disbelief in deities. why would we want to add some kind of platform for everyone to follow, whether we liked it or not? perhaps we do have ONE more thing in common, something that could be called political: we probably all favor separation of church and state. there is already a political party that includes that in its platform. it's called the democratic party. g

11/9 Fahrenheit free on YouTube.

genessa comments on Dec 31, 2018:

political bashing can also be true. if i say "trump lies as he breathes," how is that not true, even though i am, by telling the truth, bashing trump? g

I have been in many situations so close to death and i was affraid that there is a god and i ...

genessa comments on Dec 31, 2018:

no gods have ever crossed my mind in times of crisis, even life-and-death crisis. there just isn't any reason to think there might be a god or gods. none. but let's imagine there was a god, and you did die. why would you be afraid? if there is a good god he knows you did your best. if there is a bad god, why care what he thinks? g

So, with New Year's Eve upon us and the close of 2018.

genessa comments on Dec 30, 2018:

1. um... still thinking.... well, my hair grew at a decent pace. 2. my lungs and pancreas didn't work so great. i have no clue what to do to improve them that i am not already doing. g

What is a telltale sign you are dealing with an INFJ?

genessa comments on Dec 30, 2018:

oh the briggs-meyers garbage? it IS garbage, you know. g

Love this person::: Blonde in the Belly of the Beast: She is a liberal that is called alt-right: ...

genessa comments on Dec 30, 2018:

i am not commenting on the video; i am not turning the sound on for someone who is liberal but called alt-right (really? no, really?) or who thinks diversity and multiculturalism are silly (they're not). it would be a waste of my time. and that was my comment (albeit not on the video). g

How do I redeem myself from being an asshole?

genessa comments on Dec 30, 2018:

stop being an asshole. that's the only way. g

I'm searching to meet somebody interesting,let me hear your story and I'll share mine..

genessa comments on Dec 30, 2018:

that's not how it works. if you're the one reaching out, YOU first. not that i'm looking. (oh look, it seems this guy's been reported and booted -- either that or one of us blocked the other.) g

What are you looking forward to in the New Year?

genessa comments on Dec 30, 2018:

1. the christmas season will FINALLY be over. 2. my insurance will now include rides to the health club. it has paid for the membership but not to GET me there. 3. social security gave me a cost of living raise so welfare took that out of my food stamps, so i am looking forward to having no raise at all. 4. come on, robert mueller! come on! do your thing! g

When people you know ask how you are, do you tell them the truth (let's say you are a little ...

genessa comments on Dec 30, 2018:

people i know... how well? i tell my friends how i feel. a neighbor, maybe not so much. a shop clerk, nope. g

Regular M&Ms or Peanut M&Ms?

genessa comments on Dec 30, 2018:

yuck, i wouldn't eat an m&m even if i didn't have diabetes. i never liked them. they're so sugary i can't taste the chocolate and i find the texture unpleasant. the only thing worse than american chocolate is japanese chocolate. and i do like chocolate. g

What's in a smile?

genessa comments on Dec 30, 2018:

"one may smile and smile, and be a villain." -- hamlet, in "hamlet" by w.s. shakespeare g

Question: How do you go about finding new friends to hang out with?

genessa comments on Dec 30, 2018:

the last time i made an effort to find friends i was seven and a half and my family had just that day moved into a new house, and when i say a new house, i mean every house on the block had just been completed and moved into. everyone was new. so i walked around the block, calling up to windows if i saw children's faces in them, asking if they wanted to be my friends. no one did. i got most of the way around the block when i ran into a child slightly younger than myself and she asked me if i liked pets. i said i did. did i have any pets? no, i didn't. well, she did, she said. would i like to come see them? i sure would. i went into her house and up to her room and met her pets: they were all stuffed animals, including a toy cat made of rabbit fur that stank, rather. after that i played with her and her stuffed animals, in her room, often, perhaps every day, until one day she met me at the door and said her mother wouldn't let me come into the house anymore unless i said i loved jesus christ. i told her i couldn't say that. she said i didn't have to mean it, just say it so i could come in and play. i never went into that house again and we were no longer friends. this was not the first friend whose mother stopped our friendship because the friend was catholic and i was jewish, but it was the only friend i had made on my friend search, and it didn't end well. that was my first and last such search. g

What games do you play?

genessa comments on Dec 30, 2018:

none of the above. i play howrse, throne: kingdom at war, and more recently also lady popular, which sounds dreadful but it's actually pretty cool (but no version for guys -- at least those who would want male avatars -- as far as i know). i play those on my laptop. i have asthma so despite my tendency to use my phone for (shock of all shocks) phone calls (well, okay, and pictures), i do sit for a time before lying down and play crown (a kind of solitaire), design home and trendy fashion (why do such games have such awful names?) on it. if i don't sit for a while, i can't breathe when i lie down, and if i sit idly, i am bored, so i play those games. g

What is the worst thing you've ever eaten out of a vending machine?

genessa comments on Dec 30, 2018:

anything on white bread. g

Do you believe in the concept of "a soul"?

genessa comments on Dec 30, 2018:

no. there is no such thing as a soul. soul yes; aretha franklin sang soul. A soul, no. g

I had stated before that the cops don't have to protect you, the cops on here said I had ...

genessa comments on Dec 29, 2018:

funny. "to serve and protect" comes from somewhere... can't think where.... g

When I was a young upstart, I disliked older people.

genessa comments on Dec 29, 2018:

when i was young i always got along better with grownups than with other kids. when i was an adult, neither young anymore nor yet middle aged, i got along with kids better than with my peers. now that i am old i get along with people of all ages. g

Is this a dating site?

genessa comments on Dec 29, 2018:

my answer is not in the poll so i cannot vote. said answer is: "it is what you make of it." g

A “Conversation Pit” from the 1960s. Did you have one in your home?

genessa comments on Dec 29, 2018:

since i saw one in a movie in the early '70s i have also always wanted a conversation chair.

A “Conversation Pit” from the 1960s. Did you have one in your home?

genessa comments on Dec 29, 2018:

no but i always wanted one! there is one in my fantasy house design i am always working on in my head, but it's round (and not red -- nor leather/vinyl/leatherette)! g

Galbijjim tonight to celebrate the new year with a friend (since we'll be at a concert for NYE ...

genessa comments on Dec 29, 2018:

i leave all the beer to you but i will gladly share the rest! g